Top Student Destinations: Atlanta

For a unique mix of Southern Hospitality and big city living, Atlanta is a prime contender for your next group trip. You'll be pleasantly surprised at all the exciting activities this Georgia capital has to offer.

via atlantaphotos.com

First and foremost, Atlanta's rich historical past makes for an excellent educational tour. Martin Luther King Jr. was born and raised in what is now the MLK National Historical Museum, a small house filled with some of the most important artifacts to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Stop by the museum while on the Sweet Auburn Walking Tour, a mile-and-a-half long historic landmark neighborhood rich with the history, heritage and achievements of Atlanta’s prominent black citizens. When your feet grow weary, try an authentic taste of the old South at the renowned Sweet Auburn Curb Market – one of Atlanta’s premier farmer’s markets since 1918, tendering health-conscious shoppers fresh produce, baked goods, meats and dairy from local and organic farms and vendors as well as delectable, slow-smoked Southern specialties. For even more African-American history, take a Legacy Heritage Tour, covering the histories of Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, James Weldon Johnson, Hank Aaron and many more.

Atlanta also features some of the best colleges in the South, which your group can tour by foot with an educated guide. Stop by Emory College of Arts and Sciences, whose mission is "to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity." Explore Morris-Brown College, the first to be founded by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or stroll through Georgia Tech, one of the top ten Universities in the United States. Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University are just a few more options your group has to learn about Atlantian education.

To indulge in some purely-for-fun entertainment, Atlanta has many activities that'll keep your group grinning all day long. Prowl through the Atlanta Zoo, the 44 acre massive animal kingdom home to one of the nation's only giant Pandas, the largest family of gorillas and orangutans, and an expansive African Plains exhibit. For a bit of the wild mixed in with thrilling adventures, speed over to Wild Adventure Theme Park, where hundreds of animals cohabitate with dozens of theme park rides and attractions, including an enourmous Butterfly Garden and Aviary.

For a step back into your childhood, the Legoland Discovery Center is a must. Explore dozens of interactive activities built with more than two million LEGOs all under one roof. For a world-class attraction, the Georgia Aquarium may be the most memorable on your trip itinerary. Ten million gallons of water house Sea Monsters Revealed, where you get up-close-and-personal with sharks and other terrifying critters, The Georgia Explorer Exhbit, where your group is free to get hands-on with starfish, horeshoe crabs, shrimp and more, and the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest, where whales, penguins, otters and beyond are at your viewing pleasure.

If these attractions aren't enough to convince you, check out the World of Coca Cola, the CNN headquarters studios, Turner Field, Six Flags Over Georgia and anything else you may discover on your trip. For more information, read on here.